Mistakes to avoid when redesigning your kitchen

If you’re a dab hand at DIY and are contemplating whether to redesign a kitchen on your own, then think again… redesigning a kitchen is a completely different ball game. A professional kitchen designer has years of experience and will be able to offer tips, advice, and recommend ideas that you hadn’t thought about.

Don’t feel like you’re taking a less hands-on approach, as kitchen designers work closely with you to learn exactly what you want. They can enhance the ideas you already have by elevating them to the next level. Plus, they know exactly when to incorporate things such as lighting and appliances, which means mistakes are less likely to happen.

To see your design in a realistic environment, you can open drawers and appliances in Wren’s 3D virtual reality studio. At this stage, you’ll see if the design is right for you, if it works and you can make final tweaks off the back of it.

Don’t be blasé about small add-ons and storage features like additional drawer dividers, pull-out larders, internal recycling bins, magic corners, wine racks and deep drawers.

These finer details will not only create more storage in your kitchen, but will also save you money in the long run as they are much more costly to add later on.

Plus, it frees up precious worktop space and offers a much cleaner environment to work in with everything neatly stored away. Not only that, but it’s easier on the eye offering a more streamlined look with clutter hidden away.

Remember the kitchen is the busiest place in your home, especially when moving to and from your appliances. When planning your kitchen redesign, make sure that these areas are in relevant locations to each other. For example, your sink should be near your dishwasher so you can rinse pots and put them in the machine.

Ever heard of the kitchen triangle rule? It’s a design concept used to create efficient triangular-shaped layouts between primary tasks such as the oven, hob, sink and fridge. It’s a time-tested standard that ensures easy access. However, these are only guidelines and the rules can be broken if, for example, you have a smaller space to work with.

As the kitchen is the most functional and one of the most potentially dangerous rooms in your house, it’s important to get the lighting right.

Some people forget to add lighting during the design phase, which is a huge mistake - not only from a practical point of view, but also aesthetically. Task lighting is super important, with concealed lighting underneath your cupboards a great idea for food prep, as they shine directly onto your chopping board. It’s also the same for overhead lighting for cooking food and in larders, so you can see exactly what you’re grabbing.

To create an ambience, soft low-level lighting is perfect for parties and midnight snacks. Strip lighting along the base of your cabinet is the perfect solution, along with glass cabinet lighting. It’s much easier to implement during the design phase rather than after, and it offers a more professional integrated look.

For areas of the kitchen where family and friends gather, consider pendant lighting, which creates a more focal light source.

It’s important that you have control over your kitchen redesign costs. Always have a budget in mind and to do this, create a list of everything you’ve been quoted for, or are going to purchase. From building costs, to bar stools and new flooring, take into account absolutely everything. Make a spreadsheet and continue to update it.

Recognise where you want to spend your budget before you start compiling the list. Worktops, appliances and flooring are the main factors to consider, as they endure most of the wear and tear. For example, do you have messy children and need a durable worktop? We’d recommend quartz as it’s stain, heat and scratch resistant compared to timber, which requires TLC to remove watermarks and food stains.

Feeling confident now, on how to redesign your kitchen? Well, there’s no time like the present to get the motions moving and transform your space into the kitchen of your dreams! If you want to feel inspired, speak to one of Wren’s kitchen designers of visit a showroom near you and book an appointment.